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In this pilot episode, a fiery, effervescent 8-year-old named Penelope "Punky" Brewster slips through the open window of an empty apartment, with her loyal puppy Brandon in tow. When she is discovered by Henry Warnimont--the crotchety old apartment manager--she is reluctantly invited into his home, where she reveals the truth about what has happened to her real family. She also bonds with Cherie, a girl her own age who lives with her grandmother Betty in the same building. Henry, who has lived alone for many years, makes it clear that he does not want company, but as sweet little Punky slowly wriggles her way into his heart, he realizes that her future is essentially in his hands now.moreless

Although he is growing increasingly attached to Punky, Henry calls the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and a social worker arrives at the apartment to bring her to a nearby orphanage. As much as Henry and Punky want to stay together, the social worker emphasizes that Henry's age and marital status are not in his favor, so Punky must go to Fenster Hall. Once there, she meets her two roommates and joins forces with them to escape and return back to the person she wants to be with the most.moreless

When Punky arrives back at Henry's doorstep after leaving Fenster Hall, she is convinced that everything is all well and good now, but after having a long talk with a social worker, Henry reluctantly tells Punky that she would be better off with younger, more experienced foster parents. Eventually, however, the two realize that they belong together, and Henry decides that the only way he has a chance at this is by taking it all the way to the courtroom.moreless

PUNKY GETS HER OWN ROOM:Tired of sleeping on the couch every night, Punky asks Henry for her own bedroom, but the only room available just happens to be his favorite spot in the apartment. LOST AND FOUND:If it were up to Henry, he would only go shopping a couple times a year, but with a child to take care of, he is forced to visit the supermarket. Unfortunately, the day presents more than a few challenges for both of them.

WALK POOL: Henry regrets volunteering to take Betty's place for the daily task of walking Punky and her friends to and from school, because Scotty Lotabucci (R.J. Williams), one of the kids who walks to school with Punky, is a terror.

GONE FISHING: Henry tells Punky about a fish called "Big Al", then he takes Punky and her friends fishing.moreless

Parents Night is quickly approaching at Punky's school, and while all the third graders eagerly prepare for this event, Punky's wealthy classmate Margaux Kramer claims that foster parents do not care as much as biological parents. Punky initially dismisses this idea and clings to the notion that Henry loves her as much as anyone else, but things get complicated when Henry must go to work on the big night. Now that Punky is convinced that Margaux's theory is true, it will take an extra effort from Henry to reveal his true feelings for his foster daughter.moreless

A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR: Punky and Cherie are due to get their booster shots, and when their little plan to avoid the experience backfires, they have no choice but to go along with it. The night before her shot, Punky confides in Henry about her fear, so he gives her a special "good luck charm" to ease her apprehension--which only ends up creating more chaos in the doctor's office! GO TO SLEEP: Henry is eager to get Punky in bed as soon as possible so he can watch a highly anticipated television program, but she just is not sleepy on this particular evening. Despite Henry's efforts to help her fall asleep, Punky quickly realizes what he is up to, and she is concerned that he is not fully letting her into his life.moreless

As Margaux brags about her participation in an upcoming Miss Adorable pageant, Punky and Cherie decide to enter with her. Margaux and Cherie are eager to turn up the charm and meet handsome pageant host Andy Gibb, but Punky has a deeper, more personal reason for entering. Dozens of little girls arrive on the night of the show with beautiful dresses and plenty of talent, so it's obvious that the competition is intense, and it promises to be a spectacular event that nobody will forget!moreless

Punky goes shopping with Betty and Cherie and comes home with some fantastic rain gear that Henry is expected to pay for. The monstrous bill is a shock for former bachelor Henry, who is not used to sharing his money with another person. Punky and Cherie become upset when they overhear the adults discussing the financial struggles involved with raising children, and Punky, who is determined to share the burden, will stop at nothing to get some cash.moreless

Punky's treasured baby doll, which she has fondly named "My," loses its head for the umpteenth time, and after promising to fix it for her, Henry decides that buying her some new toys is a better option, and he makes the mistake of throwing My in the garbage. She is, of course, distraught by this, but Henry believes that she'll get over it--that is, until he learns why the doll was so important to her in the first place.moreless

Since the upcoming Christmas is Henry's first one with Punky, he is determined to make it special for her. Punky's excitement and enthusiasm for the season are soon squelched, however, when an older student convinces her that there is no Santa Claus. To lift her spirits, Henry quickly springs into action by visiting Punky's school and dressing up as Santa, but nothing can prepare him for what happens when his daughter reveals her one and only Christmas wish.moreless

After promising Punky that he would find her mother, Henry begins a wild and frustrating mission to locate her. The more he comes up empty-handed, the more discouraged he becomes, but the most painful part of it all is coming to terms with the possibility of losing Punky for good. As Christmas Eve approaches, Henry is still nowhere near fulfilling his daughter's wish, but then he has an unexpected encounter with a stranger who may turn this into one of the most miraculous holiday celebrations ever.moreless

Punky is hoping for a complete family when Henry is reunited with his high school sweetheart Maggie McLerie, who is now one of the richest people in Chicago, but she's not a snob. Punky, wanting a complete family, eagerly sets up a re-creation of their last date to help Henry out, and it works, as Henry proposes.Punky's hopes begin to fade when Henry and Maggie get into an argument over Punky -- if Maggie and Henry get married, Maggie wants to put Punky in a boarding school so Maggie and Henry can travel the world, but Henry is against the idea of putting Punky in a boarding school.Punky decides to leave and take Brandon with her, so she won't be in the way of Henry and Maggie getting married.

Fate takes a joyous turn for Henry when a special person from his past shows up at his studio. Maggie McLerie was Henry's high school sweetheart many years ago, but just as he was about to propose to her, unfortunate circumstances split them apart. Now that they are both widows, it seems like a perfect opportunity to rekindle the romance, and of course, Punky is delighted with the possibility of having a complete family again. Maggie graciously accepts Henry's proposal, but some truly serious issues threaten to separate them a second time, which leads Punky to make a drastic decision of her own.moreless

Determined not to create problems for Henry and Maggie's future, Punky bids an emotional farewell to Cherie and sneaks out secretly with Brandon. A fierce snowstorm prompts them to seek shelter in a junkyard hovel, where they make an unexpected encounter. Meanwhile, Henry and Maggie search feverishly for the little girl, but there is only one person who may be able to help them.moreless

Punky's friends are all getting into the spirit of Valentine's Day by choosing "boyfriends" from their third grade class, but Punky is completely uninterested in finding a man. She gets herself in trouble by attacking a male classmate who boldly kisses her on the lips, and in light of this drama, Margaux brainwashes Punky into believing that if she doesn't get a boyfriend pronto, she'll wind up being "old and alone" one day. As one can imagine, Punky has a lot on her mind when she falls asleep that night, and this may lead to one wacky dream about what her life will look like in 80 years!moreless

Henry buys a set of stamps called the "Crowned Heads of Europe", and Brandon swallows them, making Henry furious. Punky takes Brandon out for a walk to let Henry calm down, and Brandon gets hit by a car...

Henry buys a video camera to help with his photography business. Punky and her friends use it without permission to shoot their very own exercise video, but trouble looms when they accidentally break the camera.

A shipment of the extremely popular "Butter Lettuce Baby" dolls have arrived in town, and when Punky, Cherie, and Margaux decide that they simply must have them, Henry is chosen to go buy them. Unfortunately, due to heavy demand, he is only able to get one. Which girl will get the doll, and how will it affect their friendship?

Homeless boy TC Fenestra slips through Punky's bedroom window and steals a jewelry box that holds sentimental value to her. Punky follows TC into an alley, where he lives and follows the orders of troubled teenager Blade. Convinced that Henry will take in TC as a foster child, just as he did with her, Punky convinces TC to come home with her, but Henry ends up bringing him straight to Fenster Hall. Once there, TC befriends some of the other orphaned children, bonds with manager Mike Fulton, and finally opens up about his painful past. Just when TC's life seems to be turning around, however, Blade returns--and there's only one thing he's after.moreless

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